Buzzkillz – Scum Of The Earth

Apr18

There is always great enjoyment in the snowball effect of discovering one new band which in turns leads to another and so on. Checking out the new album from Finnish band Wanton on Undead Artists inspired the thought of what other psychobilly bands were hidden in the underground of their homeland. Quickly standing out amongst a potent many was Helsinki quartet Buzzkillz for which a like on their Facebook profile was inevitable. This in turn sparked the band to get in touch with their latest album Scum Of The Earth and now an eager recommendation of its contagious punkabilly.

Buzzkillz was formed in 2011 by vocalist/guitarist Ultima Foole and double bassist Jybe, the pair after playing for many years in their own respective bands “decided to do better music together”. A few personnel changes led to the current and potent line-up of guitarist Antti and drummer Joiku alongside the founding pair stepping forward in 2015 with an arsenal of punk/rockabilly bred tracks. The following year saw the band record their debut album with the uncaging of Scum Of The Earth coming in its fall and still luring a host of new hungry appetites for their sound week by week,.

Scum Of The Earth opens up with Sick Of It All, enticing with a Clash like beckoning before stomping through ears with psychobilly muscle and virulence. Rhythms take no prisoners, beats a thumping trespass backed by the delicious resonating bait that only a double bass can offer. The vocal growl of Ultima is quickly in the bullying mix, his grouchy tones backed potently across the band as the song cantankerously bounds across the senses. With wiry melodies adding to the pleasure, it is a great start swiftly backed up by the addictive punk ‘n’ roll shuffle of Deepest Pockets. Like a mix of Russian punks Biting Elbows and the Danes Grumpynators, the track soon has body and spirit locked in its grip and with consummate ease.

I’m Not The One comes next, its cowpunk flavouring another easy to embrace temptation and the spicy lining to the track’s contagious swing before the album’s title track brings a dirtier, grittier slab of rock ‘n’ roll to the party. Both tracks hit the spot dead centre, the second with a tone reminding of The Peacocks but equally each is overshadowed by the rousing rumble and incitement of Losing The Fight. With anthemic rhythms alone stoking up feverish fires, the song ensnares eager ears and appetite, treating both to a mesh of sultry melodies over relentlessly catchy rhythms.

Through the punk ‘n’ roll intimidation of Outside, Jybe unleashing another simply irresistible infection of bass, and the sinister rockabilly seduction of Fear Of The Unknown, band and album further share rich variety and salacious flirtation while Roll The Dice delves into some ska punk seeded devilment to stretch that diversity within those three songs alone.

Psychobilly drives the irritable charge of Monsters next, the track a rapacious trespass of ears and pleasure simultaneously infesting and captivating the imagination. Its melodies entice with zeal as riffs and rhythms badger and trap an instinctive appetite for their source genre; a psychobilly flavouring just as eagerly fuelling the carnivorous exploits of Some Scars, a track something akin to The Meteors in league with Nekromantix.

There is a whiff of Tiger Army to the smouldering seduction of Sleepwalking but at times even more so of Th’ Legendary Shack Shakers with its dark off-kilter invention. Persistently, the song unveils a fresh twist and hue to its rock ‘n’ roll, emerging the most unique and thrilling proposal in a horde of only striking encounters.

The album ends with the muscular rock ‘n’ roll of Cross To Bare, a slab of punk rock putting a feisty cap on one rousing and thoroughly enjoyable release. There are plenty of familiar hues to the album but with a freshness and inventive prowess which employs rather than relies on them. Buzzkillz is a band ready to embrace attention far beyond their homeland, they have done their part in that aim with Scum Of The Earth; the rest is down to you. Now the question is from their discovery where will we be next led…

Scum Of The Earth is available now @ https://buzzkillzband.bandcamp.com/releases

https://www.facebook.com/Buzzkillzband/

Pete RingMaster 18/04/2017

The Hangmen – Necronomicon

Mar17

photo by Phil Whiteley_Intial P Photography

It might not always have been openly declared but there is no escaping that British cult rockers, The Hangmen have been an inspiring force on the underground psychobilly scene since the early nineties and the first of seven greedily devoured and increasingly lauded albums. They defy, nay violate accepted musical conventions and expectations in attitude, deed, and sound whilst creating a blend of psychobilly and garage punk which only inspires in its uniqueness and irreverence; the evidence in the sounds escaping the imagination of bands like Dick Venom and The Terrortones and Dedwardians whether from direct or third hand inspiration. Now the trio return with a new three track infestation of body and psyche, an irresistible trespass sure to have even more willingly swinging from their creative gallows.

This new studio material has been a long awaited incitement, anticipation hanging on since the release of seventh album Cacklefest! in 2007, though there was also the rarities collection of Exhumed & Groomed to drool over three years ago. It has been fresh dark Hangmen swing fans have yearned for though and Necronomicon more than delivers. It is the most predatory and creatively deranged adventure yet with the threesome of vocalist/guitarist Loz Firewalker, bassist/vocalist Leapin’ Lizard Phillips, and drummer Dyin’ Ryan and with all its songs taken from upcoming full-length Hells Vagina, The EP is a salacious teaser of hell bent rock ‘n’ roll at its most deviously compelling.

The EP’s title track is first up, its homage to cult movie gem Evil Dead pure invasive theatre. From its initial piano cursed fingering of the imagination, the track twists into a predacious stroll with infection seeping from every pore. Swinging beats and a heavy rapacious bassline courts the senses whilst a seductively nagging hook teases, Firewalker barging in with his vocal roar as raucously backed by the vociferous tones of Phillips. Dragging the listener into its transfixing hellbound realm prone to caustic expulsions, harrying them with a gloriously plodding prowl, the track reveals itself as raw virulence cast in something approaching The Cramps meeting Th’ legendary Shack Shakers as The Orson Family add their incestuous lures ultimately emerging as a depraved invasion all of the band’s making.

The punk stomp of Collarbomb keeps the pleasure as lustfully inflamed, its own naturally mischievous and virulent swagger rapturous bait alone only matched up by the spicy grooves and fifties seeded boldness fuelling its persistently dynamic and insatiable two minute epidemic.

It is fair to say these ears and appetite were fevered by the end of the pair and only ignited again by closer The Great Brain Robbery, the song managing to find an even rawer toxic majesty to its clamour. Driven by a forceful strut with bedlam in its arsenal, the track as its predecessors swiftly gets under the skin incessantly ravishing the senses with its instinctive and inventive babel.

Necronomicon is the kind of treat for which any length of wait can be accepted while providing a taster of a release which will be even more desperately anticipated from this point on.

The Necronomicon EP is out now through Moon Skull Records on 10″ vinyl and download @ https://hangmen666.bandcamp.com/album/necronomicon-ep

Video directed/edited by Ryan Pilot

https://www.facebook.com/thehangmen https://twitter.com/Hangmen666

Pete RingMaster 17/03/2017

The Masonics – Obermann Rides Again

Mar5

masonics_RingMasterReview

Giving an instinctive passion for rock ‘n’ roll as big a work out as hips and feet, UK rockers The Masonics recently uncaged their ninth album, Obermann Rides Again, offering fourteen slices of their feverishly distinctive and tenaciously addictive sound. The trio rock and rumble through their new proposal with more of the beat infected garage punk which has seen them become the leaders of the Medway Beat first instigated by Billy Childish. In saying that, it equally breathes and roars with freshness again bringing something new and inspiring to ears and the scene around them, and most of all raw zeal and excitement to the listener.

The band consists of vocalist/guitarist Mickey Hampshire who was in the Milkshakes in the early 80s with drummer Bruce Brand who had played alongside Childish a few years earlier in the Pop Rivets and bassist John Gibbs once of Scottish group, The Kaisers. As The Masonics, the threesome have persistently cemented their position as one of the heads of British garage rock/punk with a sound becoming one of the essential inspirations of the ever eager charge of the genre’s young pups.

Released by Dirty Water Records as a limited 500 copies editions ahead of a series of limited vinyl and download releases from The Masonics’ back catalogue, starting with Outside Looking In and a new singles compilation, Obermann Rides Again swiftly reveals why the stature of the band remains stately. It all starts with I Ain’t Hurting For You and a guitar twang which provides the spark for a strolling jangle and rhythmic incitement forcibly engaging ears. The magnetic vocals of Hampshire are soon adding their lure; the boisterous sounds around him echoing his honest unfussy delivery. Within a handful of seconds feet are physically involved, appetite and those instincts just as eagerly hooked before the excellent opener hands its pliable slave over to the even more energetically captivating and persuasive Don’t Torment Me. With a Bo Diddley like stomp at its heart, the track twists and turns in its relentlessly vigorous shuffle with rhythmic rowdiness and sonic vivacity its virulent fuel. Rock ‘n’ roll was never meant to be flamboyant or polished to clean-cut limpness and this superb roisterer and its dirty ways proves why.

Your Dangerous Mind has a less undisciplined bounce, its saunter more flirtation than aggression and just as irresistible as Hampshire with grainy texture croons, backed by his cohorts within tangy grooves and hip inciting rhythms. The r&b essences of the song are just as ripe as its brisk punk serenade, chaining a body and imagination which is soon firmly hooked again by the sultry rumba of I Don’t Understand Her Any More. As with most tracks, a collusion of decades is at masterful play, sixties garage pop and seventies surf rock hues potent spices as too the fuzzy buzz of organ in the gentle but keen canter of a song.

Rhythm ‘n’ blues dexterity becomes even wilder in next up You Don’t Have To Travel; the beat swinging, hook casting romp has a flush of King Salami and the Cumberland 3 to it, a more mild-mannered but no less devilish cousin enjoying juicy melodies and the temptress vocal charms of Ludella Black alongside Hampshire. It also pushes the already keen diversity of sound within the album on again, as even more so does I’m The Unforgiver. The track is glorious, a dark rock ‘n’ roll saunter with Cajun spicing evocatively colouring attitude loaded vocals, the fiery shimmer of harmonica, and heavily loping rhythms. It infests ears and psyche like the mutant offspring from a dirty union between Th’ Legendary Shack Shakers and Ray Campi; quite simply it is garage punk to get truly lustful over.

The following and equally outstanding You’re A Stranger leaves body exhausted, senses punch drunk, and spirit ablaze next with its contagion loaded punk rock carrying a touch of The Mobbs to its rowdy exuberance while You Won’t See Me Again finds a predacious edge to its swinging, deviously catchy garage rock bred swagger.

Throughout the whole album, there is no escaping the physical manipulation of Brand’s nefarious beats or Gibbs infernal rhythms whilst Hampshire’s wiry melodies and jangling melodic hooks are trespasses more often than not breeding slavery. All are at bold play in the beat punctuated blues flamed I’m A Redacted Man and straight after in the smouldering fifties rock ‘n’ roll/sixties pop spun What Do You Do. A procrastinating stroll and anthem for lost love and its enslaving grief, the second’s raw seduction roars with soiled Walker Brothers like charm and salty melodic spicing reminding a little of The Birds.

Come On My Little Darlin’ bounces around like a dancehall ruffian after them, sonically tempting and rhythmically taunting as a mouth harp again seduces before You Gotta Tell Me shows its blues breeding with intoxicating hooks and intoxicated keys for a salacious slab of imposing but controlled rock ‘n roll. Both tracks continue the album’s appetite igniting prowess though both are quickly eclipsed by its closing pair.

The swinging country rock a-scented beat ‘n’ roll of The Unsignposted Road is sheer infectiousness with Black back courting ears alongside the band as one passion stoking hook persists and old school melodies flame. It is delicious to the ear but too is slightly shaded by the brilliance of the album’s title track bringing devilment to its exceptional close. Punk ‘n’ roll calling on the goodness of past decades, it stomps around and grips body and soul like The Pirates, both the Johnny Kidd and seventies eras, meeting Thee Headcoats as the likes of The Blue Cats spur them on; a glorious end to an equally stirring and enjoyable album.

As suggested earlier, The Masonics are the head boys of UK garage goodness and Obermann Rides Again is evidence they are in no mood to hand over that position.

Obermann Rides Again is out now on vinyl on the band’s own Grand Wazeau Records and digitally through Dirty Water Records and available @ https://themasonics.bandcamp.com/album/obermann-rides-again

https://www.facebook.com/themasonics/

Pete RingMaster 05/03/2017

Los Cabrones Profanos – Ogun Vodun

Sep15

Hailing from Milan, Los Cabrones Profanos is a band creating incendiary stomps from the collusion of varied strains of country blues and garage punk. The evidence can be found on the band’s new album Ogun Vodun, thirteen tracks of illegitimate stomping and blues-blooded mischief. More we can tell you about the Italian band though is limited though they consist of guitarist Blind Frankie, drummer El Cabron, vocalist Il Reverendo, and mandolin player Pollo Braineater, and have unleashed one excellent treat with Ogun Vodun.

The album opens with the sinister lure of Intro the distress; a brief guitar cast instrumental awakening ears and thoughts before its sonic tail is joined by striding rhythms and the body of Midnight Blues. As dark and dangerously seductive as its name might suggest, the track is soon strolling with a devilish swagger equipped with spicy hues of harmonica and dour yet magnetic vocals. Its air is raw, almost predacious as the song sizzles upon the senses while heading to an explosive and irritable finale of sound and energy.

Bad Boys Boogie follows taking similar spices into its punk ‘n’ roll rioting, spilling irresistible hooks and recognisable rockabilly riffs second by second. There is a touch of US duo Into The Whale to the song, though its fifties nature is most vocal and pleasing before Il Blues è morto shares its sultry and melancholic landscape of evocative guitar melodies and vocals with the harmonica adding additional flaming to the compelling wake.

The album’s great start only continues in full charge as firstly the volatile cowpunk romp of No fun down in Nashville rumbles and grips ears alongside an already eager appetite for what is on offer and straight after Brace viciously erupts upon the senses with its Black Flag meets Powersolo like dementia. The track is glorious, a flavouring of The Cramps adding extra potency to the invasion of the senses.

Siesta is 20 seconds of raw snoring, literally, before the dark swing of Figlio del Voodoo reveals its Cajun sorcery through voice and mandolin devilment against guitar temptation. The first of the two is just what it is and soon passed over across subsequent listens but its successor is pure bewitchment which never explodes into the devilry it suggests it will but thrills and blossoms because of that restraint.

Incroci has a Latin slicing to its mandolin seducing, the rest of the song’s body providing a mariachi nurtured stomping with a touch of Th’ Legendary Shack Shakers to its infectiousness, while Il Blues dei miei peccati mixes the band’s penchant for cowpunk and country blues in another quaintly hued and inescapably catchy canter with plenty of imposing shadows and fiery temptations for appealing measure.

As expected I Stomp does exactly what it says on the tin, its incessant wave of hooks and vocal simplicity a call to hips and feet, not forgetting vocal chords to rock ‘n’ roll, all only finding rest once the enjoyable dusty balladry of Hank takes over.

Completed by the Outro in Hell, another potent instrumental persuasion, Ogun Vodun leaves thick pleasure and a just as big want for more in its wake. Without breaking wholly new ground, the album is as fresh as it is inexcusably mischievous while Los Cabrones Profanos is a band all dark blues and garage punk fans should become acquainted with.

Ogun Vodun is available now @ https://loscabronesprofanos.bandcamp.com/

https://www.facebook.com/loscabronesprofanos/

Pete RingMaster 15/09/2016

Browlin – To The Border!

Aug25

Browlin_RingMasterReview

Luring ears and imagination into the sultry climate and shadows of the Wild West on a funk infused wave of melodic and lyrical adventure, To The Border! is a highly suggestive and seriously captivating encounter everyone deserves to treat themselves to. Released by Browlin, the album offers up the smouldering melodic artistry of Morricone, the dark honesty of Johnny Cash, and the lyrical conjuring and prowess of Helldorado with the vocal suggestiveness of Rooster Cole for extra spice. The result, something as unique and magnetic as you could wish for.

Browlin is the latest moniker of Oliver Brown who previously was engineer and studio manager at Skint, where he gained Top 40 credits, hit 2m views on YouTube and was part of the incredible success of artists such as Fatboy Slim. With his new project, Brown has moved away from his electronic past to immerse in heartfelt picturesque songwriting embracing indie and funk imagination upon Latin honed rhythms and emotions. To the Border! is the result of his exploration, an encounter which infests ears and imagination like the dirt and hot atmospheres its song’s premise’s and climates suggest.

The album opens up with Border and an immediate cinematic strum of guitar, it’s coaxing quickly joined by darker tones of bass and those Latin inspired beats. Lone harmonies and the subsequent vocal touch of Brown soon add to the already evocative prowess of the song, its lively canter taking the appetite in tow with little trouble. With keys joining the Mexican hued saga the track makes for a compelling start though it is soon eclipsed by the following Pieces. Brown’s gravelly hum aligns to another single melodic lure to open up the song, his vocals and words swiftly seducing the imagination as the guitar soon after leads into a bass and keys driven slice of melancholic funk ‘n’ roll. Even without electronic essences, there is a touch of The The to the track, even as it induces hips to swing and feet to eagerly shuffle.

art_RingMasterReview Its success is matched by the earthy majesty of All My Days and in turn the flaming revelling of There’s Always A Way. The first of the pair keenly walks and then bounds through ears, more flirtatious rhythms seizing body and spirit as vocals and melodies paint a brooding yet warmly alluring picture. Virulently catchy with keys and harmonies bordering salacious, the outstanding track is matched in majesty by its successor, a Cajun-esque dance with spicy harmonica and woozy melodies within a climate of moonshine fuelled, and inspired carnival.

The thrills and seduction continue at an already irresistible level as Big Deal romances the senses with its Th’ Legendary Shack Shakers meets Chris Isaak swing next. Once more the harmonica almost burns its way into the passions while a thickly appetising soak of discord invades guitar and tone. It is an off kilter pleasure transforming into the haunting and fiery beauty of All About Us without a breath being shared. The new song slips under the skin within seconds, its repetitive hooks and melodic bait as enslaving as Brown’s vocal craft and expression and in turn the orchestral weight of an increasingly epic encounter.

I Sit Alone allows the body to at least rest next, it’s smouldering entrance with female sighs the canvas for the reflective declaration of Brown. You can almost see him sitting on the front porch of a barren land sitting shack or under the moonlight against a hanging tree as he pours out his heart. It is a dark and maudlin moment which subsequently evolves into a funk nurtured shuffle, rhythms and guitar entangling in a brewing descriptive sound and hopeful suggestiveness taken to new heights by the gorgeous landscape of following instrumental Death In Mexico. The piece is glorious, cinematic melodic poetry Morricone himself would be proud of and a track as intimate as it is visually vast.

To The Border! concludes with firstly Well I Never, another superb swinging incitement for ears and imagination with a whiff of Talking Heads to it and lastly On The Bank, a final fascination of sound, voice, and word bringing the album to a mighty close.

Not really aware of Brown’s previous work as such, all we can say is thank goodness he has ventured into new adventures through Browlin because quite simply To The Border! is an album bringing a new creative emprise to the whole music scene.

To The Border! is out now via Rife Records across most online stores.

https://www.facebook.com/browlinuk http://www.browlin.com/ https://twitter.com/BrowlinUK

Pete RingMaster 25/08/2016

The Hillbilly Moon Explosion – With Monsters And Gods

May9

THME_RingMasterReview

With a band like The Hillbilly Moon Explosion and a heavy clutch of ear thrilling and imagination gripping releases, it is hard to pick what might be the best. It is easy though to suggest that their new encounter, With Monsters And Gods is going to be right there as an option for most. The fourteen track stroll through their most eclectic and fascinating slices of rock ‘n’ roll yet is pure captivation. It stomps, it seduces, and rouses the spirit as it takes the listener on a magnetic escapade of creative fun, mischief, and imagination.

Returning to the local Swiss studio where they made their early rockabilly albums, The Hillbilly Moon Explosion have found a fresh edge and snap to their sound in whatever aspect it tempts from upon With Monsters and Gods. Vocalist/upright bassist and album producer Oliver Baroni recently said that the band wanted the album “to reflect the somewhat harder edge you get from the months on the road,” to create “a louder, more rock ’n’ roll album.” Fair to say they found success and more in an album which just seems to become more riveting and dynamic with every listen.

It opens up with the mesmeric In Space, a celestial romance of the senses with a disco beat and charm reminding a little of Blondie’s Autoamerican period. As exotic hues tease, the song evolves and blossoms into a sultry seduction with a persistence of nagging rhythms and surf rock scented melodic trails of guitar around Emanuela Hutter’s siren-esque tones. It is a hypnotic affair setting up ears and appetite for the adventure to come with Temptation next in line to live up to its title. Guest sax flames courtesy of Pete Thomas are soon licking at the imagination after an initial tenacious caress of guitar, their entrance lighting a lively stroll with celestial harmonies around the mariachi theatre provided by the horns of Calexico. As it swings and bounces, a ska bred flirtation adds to the persuasion too, just another twist and turn in the creative blaze of the anthemically outstanding and inventively cinematic track.

Depression throws the listener into a beefier rockabilly bred canter next; its riffs carrying a grouchy edge as Baroni’s bass and vocals swing with infectious enterprise. The scything beats of Sylvain Petite are just as catchy too, finding themselves bound in the spicily addictive grooves of guitarist Duncan James as the song provides a straight forward yet individual prime Hillbilly Moon Explosion stomp before letting Down On Your Knees gets in on the act of stirring up ears and appetite. A seriously catchy blaze of rock ‘n’ roll as potent in its mellow saunter as it is in its fiery roar, the song weaves a thrilling proposal with additional strands of seventies glam pop in its virulent rockabilly.

art_RingMasterReview The noir lit Midnight Blues brings some great sixties garage rock keys from Baroni into play next, that a decade equally referenced by Hutter’s glorious vocals and the harmonies swimming through the seductive air of the track. A blues hue coats the guitar solo at the heart of the seductive smoulder too, a tempting which never relaxes until it steps aside for the rockabilly saunter of Desperation where Hutter is again as magnetic as the contagious hooks and swinging rhythms.

If With Monsters And Gods stopped there, acclaim would be easily offered but things just continue to entice and spellbind as its title track creates a smooch with the senses and imagination. Country seeded essences mix with surf and again sixties nurtured serenading as orchestral and emotive drama ebbs and flows across the track’s bewitching landscape. There is a blues spicing hanging around too though it is a far thicker and a more vocal ingredient in the feisty stroll of Love You Better which follows. The track listing within the album is superbly thought out; small essences in one song being developed in the next while it in turn brews other hues to be explored in the next. As the blues textures are a fiery roar around the tones and piano of Baroni here, the slight discordance to its revelry is subsequently bred further within next up Black Ghost.

The song is the first of two almost expected and hoped encounters featuring Marky “Sparky” Phillips from Demented Are Go. Hutter’s tones glow and resonate within the sonic shimmer of the song while in the background Phillips prowls and vocally prods before bringing his great gravelly presence fully into the awaited duet between the two. Once they are aligned, honky tonk keys and a cowpunk swagger join the unpredictable and thrilling party; numerous other spices and textures also before many are brought to greater irresistible life in the quite brilliant Heartbreak Boogie. Th’ Legendary Shack Shakers like in its blend of dark rock ‘n’ roll, jazz flirtation, and almost steampunk rebel rousing; the song is an electrified fence of creative devilry with further provocative sax tempting beside the mighty vocal union of Hutter and Baroni.

That Blondie essence returns in its successor, though unsurprising as it is a swiftly pleasing cover of the US band’s Call Me with a rockabilly slant The Hillbilly Moon Explosion style. It soon has the body bouncing as too the garage punk contagion of You Miss Something where again a host of flavours collude for a virulent hop fuelled with blues liquor and fifties punk ‘n’ roll merriment.

The second song with Phillips on board comes next; Jackson a great cover of the Johnny Cash and June Carter track. Converting some of the country character of the original to a ska/reggae carnival of sound with the smiling swing of keys and seductive flames of sax further temptation, the song just hits the spot as too the union of Phillips and Hutter.

Completed by the boisterous r&b toned Rose Outside, think Imelda May meets Ronnie Dawson as a hint of its galvanic sound, With Monsters And Gods is simply a riot of fun and bold incitement for the ears. As mentioned earlier, it is hard to pick the band’s best release to date, so many choice moments for fans to devour, but as we press play again, With Monsters And Gods has to be a strong contender, maybe the strongest.

With Monsters And Gods is released May 13th through Fredonia Entertainment in the UK via Amazon on CD and Vinyl and digitally through iTunes.

http://www.hillbillymoon.com/ https://www.facebook.com/hillbillymoonexplosion https://twitter.com/TheRealHME

Pete RingMaster 09/05/2016

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Murena Murena – Shame Over

Apr13

Genius or lunacy?

A question to ponder as Shame Over seduces ears and infects the psyche with its deranged carousel of dark imagination and off-kilter rock ‘n’ roll. The riveting aural amusement park of warped thrills and twisted adventures is the new album from Munich based Murena Murena. Though self-tagged as horror soul, the release offers twelve tracks of unique imagination twisting alchemy embracing both genius and lunacy which, though hard to easily reflect in word, is maybe best described as Powersolo meets Wall Of Voodoo meets Nick Cave whilst lost in the realm of Twin Peaks.

Murena Murena is the creation of Daniel Murena, vocalist and writer/composer of some of the most irresistible cinematically lit murder ballads and sinister shuffles heard in a long time. 2014 saw the release of debut album Ghoaster Coaster, a slice of sonic and creative loco within which the seeds to Shame Over can be clearly heard. They are beginnings though which have blossomed into a proposal far more unhinged and seductively unsettling; an album of songs which work the ears and imagination of the listener like a puppeteer. With Albert Pöschl, Tagar, and Dizzy Errol alongside Murena, the band and Shame Over simply turn ears into an addict whilst sharing a cracked Sin City like comic book of noir fuelled escapades.

The album opens up with Newsflash Apocalypso, a dark romancing of ears with a rumble in its belly and a Yello-esque flirtation to its electro hues and devilry. Imposing in emotive dark and beguiling with a maze of vocals which trespass song and imagination, it is an attention grabbing start to the album and swift glimpse into the house of visceral shadows and provocative tales to come, starting with the outstanding Drag Race. Cowpunk rhythms and an appropriate swing quickly grip body and appetite with rockabilly devilment swiftly adding to the Cajun tinged stomp. Again vocals are a mesh of asylum bred incitement matched by beats and country hooks, an aligning of textures breeding a scent of Powersolo / Heavy Trash to its rascality.

The necrophilic romance of Le Van´s Wife immerses ears and thoughts in dank graveyard mustiness next, its soulful moon lit insight hosted by a sultry electronic glow framed by prowling rhythms. There is no escaping a Nick Cave hue to the excellent nocturnal disturbance and its smothering embrace of dark doings, or the invigorating diversity brewing in the album which continues with the reggae spiced bounce of Dancing Naked. The grouchy tone of bass enjoyably tempers the lusty shuffle of riffs and skittish beats hugged by the warm kiss of keys, a fusion of textures creating an addictively surreal surf/spaghetti western/ska flavoured hop

cover_RingMasterReview Country and rockabilly strands entwine the following Lovely Homes, skittery beats laying an eventful canvas for the smouldering dark charm of air and narrative of voice to conjure upon. Guitars and bass only add to the increasing drama, spawning a Helldorado like theatre that once having seduced ears and enjoyment, steps straight into the unbalanced horseplay of Pretty Please! which quickly has feet and thoughts jumping like a psychotic mix of Th’ Legendary Shack Shakers and Johnny Kidd and The Pirates with an added twist of The Dancing Did.

The pair simply disorientates and ignites the senses before Peace swaggers in with its throaty Johnny Cash climate and vocal dexterity as rich sultrily hued melodies wind seductively and poetically around ears. The track epitomises the whole of the album and Murena Murena sound, there seeming little going on in the building of a thick array of textures yet every moment is a kaleidoscope of new noise and imagination which reveals more and more with every dark engagement.

A lighter dance is provided by Shy Goose, its sixties pop and electro rock dance a magnetic croon which gets right under the skin with bass and beats masterfully leading the infestation. It shimmers and erupts with increasing tenacity and bewitchment before being pushed aside by the addictive sonic and rhythmic agitation of Tu Tu. Sounds and textures almost seem to battle each other in the bedlamic stomp, but in the end they simply collude for a hyperactive rock ‘n’ roll waltz that leaves body and soul alive and ready to be drawn into the psych rock haunting of War Drugs. In another twist to the album, it is a dark enveloping of the imagination which is alive with vocal psychosis and warped echoes of noise and emotion, and quite beguiling if equally disturbing.

Shame Over is brought to a close by the pair of Fossil Fuel and Fossil Fuel 2. The first is a throbbing draw of vocal resonance and ethereal electronic theatre with plenty of suggestive bite whilst its successor is a blues romancing equipped with nostalgic easy listening country-esque mesmerism. Both tracks sublimely bewitch with their individual imagination, a description which fits the whole of the quite unique and gloriously unpredictable, not forgetting wonderfully eccentric or should that be crackpot, Shame Over. Creative diablerie does not come much better or deliciously darker it is easy to say.

Shame Over is released globally by Totally Wired Records on April 15^th @ https://totallywiredrecords.bandcamp.com/album/shame-over